In Ramadan, millions of Muslims around the world donate enormously to charities for helping those in need during the fasting month.
Many, however, are still worried that their donations could fall into the wrong hands or used effectively.
Therefore, The Muslim Charities Forum (MCF), a network of British Muslim charities, has launched a public awareness campaign to ensure that any donations made in Ramadan 2019 are ‘smart and safe’.
“It is well known that British Muslims are enormously generous in their charitable giving, being the most charitable religious community in the UK,” Fadi Itani, CEO of Muslim Charities Forum, said in a statement published by Asianimage.
He also said that last Ramadan, British Muslims donated around £130 million to NGOs.
“We see first-hand the difference these vital donations make, but we want to ensure those donations go even further and are used in the most effective way possible, which is why we have launched the ‘Give Smart Give Safe’ campaign.”
MCF has listed some tips to ensure that donations are going to the right cause.
1-Make sure the charity you wish to support is registered with the Charity Commission
This is the most basic check to be done with a charity, however even some registered charities can be registered so it is worth checking whether all their records are up to date. MCF encourages everyone to visit www.gov.uk/checkcharitybefore giving this Ramadan.
2-Be mindful of a charity’s impact and not just its admin cost
Donors are being asked to take into consideration the level of admin cost a charity has. The emergence of some charities pledging a ‘100%’ may sound enticing, but questions may need to be asked about what impact they are having in supporting the needy.
3-If you are donating online, look for a padlock icon or a ‘Secure’ message in the URL bar to make sure that your donations are protected.
Some Muslim charities receive half of their Ramadan income through online donations. Donors are being encouraged to be cautious about donating online and to ensure websites are secure and safe.
4-If approached by fundraisers on the street or outside your mosque, ask for some form of official identification.
Thousands of worshipers descend onto mosques for night prayers during the month of Ramadan. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous people may target Muslims at a mosque or communities with large Muslim populations, so donors will need to be confident the fundraisers are genuine by ascertaining whether they have visible identification on themselves and that any buckets are sealed.
Parts of the materials used here are courteously taken from asianimage.co.uk